Great British Confectionery Company Under 14 Girls Cup Final

Marine Academy Junior Girls  1 – 0  SB Frankfort Youth

Played at Coach Road, Newton Abbot 20/06/2021

The second game of this day of girls football was the Under 14s final, played over two halves of 35 minutes, 9 a-side with repeat substitutions. The game was decided in the cruellest of fashions, an own goal by Frankfort’s Brooke Ellis being all that separated these two teams, who had both served up some excellent football skills.

Marine kicked off and were fortunate not to go behind in the first 15 seconds as Frankfort’s Erin O’Shea robbed Lily Dowling in midfield and drove her shot just wide. Within two minutes it was O’Shea again, this time driving a 20 yard free kick just past the post. O’Shea was proving to be a thorn in the side of the Marine defence as she pressed forward at every opportunity. In the 6^th minute she got a shot away from distance on target which Jess Foster in Marine goal was equal to.

The game had already become quite open with chances created at both ends and the form of both goalkeepers was the only reason the score was being kept at nil-nil. In the 9^th minute  Ellie Adams cut in from the left but Lilly Felgate, the Frankfort custodian, was out sharply to deny her. Play went straight to the other end where Jess Foster saved brilliantly from Gracie Procter.

Adams was finding too much room down the Frankfort right and on two more occasions, in the 12^th and 15^th minutes, she was foiled by Felgate closing her down quickly. At the other end Foster was being called upon to save again from O’Shea and so the game went from end to end throughout the first half. In the 34^th minute Foster pulled of another great save to keep the scores tied at half time whilst at the other end, in the first minute of added time, Marine’s Kayleigh Turner fired in a fierce right foot drive just over the Frankfort crossbar.

In the 4^th minute of added time Brooke Ellis fired in a shot from 20 yards that Foster turned past the post, the last real chance of the half as both teams went in for a well-deserved half time break.

The first real chance of the second half fell to Frankfort’s Maisie Allison who, in the 39^th minute,  got on the end of a through ball but dragged her shot wide. Defences were very much on top and chances were at a premium in these early minutes of the second half. Marine were gradually getting on top and in the 45^th minute Eden Hurst broke through from midfield only to see her left foot shot from the edge of the box well saved by Felgate.

With 20 minutes remaining a raft of substitutions took place in the hope that it would bring a change of fortune, the game having been condensed in midfield since the half time break. Within three minutes Marine took the lead when Eva Wright aimed a long throw into the Frankfort box where Ellis had the misfortune to put her attempted clearance past Felgate and into the top corner of the net.

Marine grew in confidence from then on creating a number of opportunities but to no avail and Frankfort did their utmost to get back into the game. In the sixtieth minute Olive Endacott had a chance to equalise from a free kick which Foster did well to parry. Frankfort continued to press but almost found themselves two down in the 65^th minute when Hurst raced down the right and drove in a shot which Felgate did well to push behind for a corner.

In the first minute of added time Frankfort’s chance came, O’Shea bursting through the Marine defence but finding Foster with her shot down the middle. That proved to be the last chance of the match and the final whistle came with Marine Academy Junior Girls claiming the spoils.

Star Player - Jess Foster (Marine Academy Junior Girls)

Dennis Smith

Devon FA